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Business, career, family, friends, Guest Blogger, photography

Are you an unsuspecting Mentor?

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KevinThe following is a blog on the Asmp.org site by my good friend, Kevin Lock who I’ve known a long time.  His blog post was part of a series about other photographers that had an effect on their careers and lives.  Here’s Kevin’s story.

Fellow photographer. Mentor. Friend.

Posted: 15 Oct 2014 09:01 PM PDT

[by Kevin Lock]

I met my mentor in college and didn’t even know it.

While attending San Diego State, I took my first ‘paying’ photographic job at the Daily Aztec.  After only being on staff for a few weeks I attended a slide show presentation on Somalia, presented by a photojournalist whom had begun the rocky transition from newspaper photographer to freelance.  After the presentation I ran down the photographer and interviewed him for an hour or so.  I had no idea at the time how profoundly this photographer would affect my career and how quickly.  I had just picked up my second job. Assistant.

Over the years my relationship with this photographer grew.  My photographic career metamorphosed.  He introduced me to his fellow photographers which led to new jobs, I mastered the art of being his gopher, dark room technician, second shooter, digital retoucher, studio manager, problem solver, occasional house sitter, and in time, business partner.  This ever evolving relationship has taken us on photographic adventures across the country and to a few international destinations.

It was with his encouragement that I joined the ASMP in 2003.   I attended a few board meetings and then he pushed me to run for president of my local chapter. After 2 years as president and as I approach my final year on the national board, I can’t help but think how differently things would be for me today had a photographer not taken interest in my journey and taken the time to help me succeed over the years.

Joel Zwink,  I thank you for your guidance, encouragement, and your friendship.

Kevin Lock is a current director of the ASMP.    While Kevin and Joel joined the ASMP at different times, they both continue to give back to their community by being photographers, helping photographers in San Diego and in a town near you.

 

Techy/Credits:  Photo of Kevin Lock by Joel Zwink

Kevin’s website:  http://www.kevinlockphotography.com

My sites:  http://www.zwink.com  –  http://www.bigstudioz.com

 

 

Business, camera phone, career, Travel

So What’s your hurry pt2?

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One of my regular gigs (hate that word) is shooting commercial real estate.  It doesn’t excite me but I’m good at it, my clients appreciate my ability to make their multi-million dollar listing look good.  I do hope it helps them sell quicker.  But this not about them.  It’s about opportunity, photo ops.

Earlier in my career when working out of town I’d do the project and then head back home.  Why the hurry?  All these locations offered opportunity, the chance to improve my skills, to learn about the area I was in, to go home with a story.  So, as one of my mentors preached to me I slowed down.  Now after a shoot I like to explore.  Maybe I find something, maybe I don’t.  Then I look one last time at my project.  The change in the light and shadows has often made better images.

I like to shoot, whether for my client or myself.

Techy stuff:  all image with the Apple iPhone 6+.  Processed in Snapseed.

Above Location:  Battery Spencer.  From 1897 until 1943, Battery Spencer was a cold, isolated, and vital military outpost protecting the Golden Gate Bridge and SF. Several buildings and placements for the large cannons that used to stand guard on the hill remain.  It offers one of the best views of the bridge and SF but when we went it was fogged in….. we’ll just have to go back.

Travel

Aloha and Mahalo

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Kauai_JDZ_043ALOHA:

Everyone should have their own special place.  Even though Patti and I have done a fair amount of traveling Kauai is ours.  It is where we go to refresh our bodies, physically and mentally.  During the year we get caught up in the rat race, the day to day reality.  Pressure to perform, meet goals and expectations slowly build up and affect who we are.  Time for a break.  You don’t need to run off to Hawaii, but we do.

MAHALO:

Being on the island helps us refocus, relax and regain clarity.  There is a feeling of the beauty that nature is sharing through the lush tropical landscape, cascading waterfalls, the myriad of hidden beaches and the power of nature as the north swell arrives increasing the waves from 1-3 feet to often over 10 feet.  Kauai has been our home away from home for over twenty year.  We always find or have a new experience.  I return to San Diego more centered ready to share my refreshed vision.  Mahalo Kauai.

Kauai_JDZ_002 Kauai_JDZ_065  Kauai_JDZ_023Kauai_JDZ_013

techy stuff:  Nikon D810 camera with a 14-24, 24-70 and a 70-200 lens with a 1.4 convertor.  Images processed in Adobe Lightroom 5.

Guest Blogger, Travel

If it Keep on Raining’, the Levee Gonna Break

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The levee. Holy Cross, in the Lower 9th Ward.I just spent a week and a half on vacation. While in New Orleans I spent some quality time with former co-worker and now fellow blogger Ray Laskowitz. He shared with us a lot of the history of New Orleans and his Katrina experience. If you like New Orleans or are interested in the devastation from Katrina check out his blog.

ART, Business, career, Lightroom 5, location shoot, personal, photography, San Diego, Sports, work

Why you don’t work for Free

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_JDZ2667

This portrait of “Monty” was one promotion he used to raise funds for the CAF. (We did a trade, the shoot was not a freebie.)

 

I used to have the contract for San Diego State Athletics.  I provided all the photography for them including game coverage.  Being a state university the contract was on a bid basis.  Although I was awarded the contract I was told by the then SID (sports information director) it would be in my best interest to find a working relationship with the previous photographer.  After a couple strenuous, stressful years in that arrangement I finally had my golden parachute.  The San Diego Padres were looking for a change.  My new partner, former SI photographer Andy Hayt and myself were chosen to run their new photo operation.  For six years it was a well run operation.  We were well paid, made strong imagery and operated with sound business principals.  Our images had value to our client.

Often I’m told by younger, inexperienced photographers that they are working for free in exchange for the exposure.  How is exposure going to pay your rent, to pay for your cameras and computers?  Listen hard, this practice has been going on for a long time.  Ask yourself if the people asking for free imagery are working for free?  I don’t think so.  Their skills have value and they get paid for it.  If you have the skills, your work has value.  Get paid.  You can only work for free so long before your credit card payment for the camera you bought is due.

Btw, another talented photographer later temporarily got the SDSU contract.  The other photographer I had worked with previously went back and offered to work for free as a volunteer.  He didn’t offer to work with their current paid photographer, his approach was to replace him.  They jumped at the free offer and my friend lost out.   He lost income and State is accepting a lesser quality product.  Don’t condone photographers that lowball, that work for free, even if they are “giving back to the university”.  They diminish the value of our work and create one more potential client that views photography as a low priced commodity.  These are not your friends.

“IF YOU LOSE A POTENTIAL JOB, HOPE IT’S BECAUSE THEY PREFERRED THEIR WORK OVER YOURS, NOT BECAUSE THEY WERE CHEAPER”

My work is featured at:  www.zwink.com and www.bigstudioz.com

career, friends, location, location shoot, photography, San Diego, Sports, work

I used to shoot Sports…..

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Portrait of Ken Caminiti. Concept was to show his toughness and grit.
Portrait of Ken Caminiti. Concept was to show his toughness and grit.

  I used to be a sports photographer.  Then reality set in….. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

  I grew up in a small Kansas farm town, Macksville, and I loved sports.  I don’t ever remember sports not being a part of my life.  My two oldest brothers excelled in whatever they did.  My next oldest brother Mark was a pretty good pitcher, my sister, Debbie, was just as talented as my older siblings and my youngest brother was probably the best of us all.  The only problem was he was ten years younger than me.  I only learned his exploits from Mark’s writings in the local newspaper.  But what about me?  I was short changed in the talent department.  As hard as I worked and studied sports, the reality was I didn’t “have” it.  But boy it sure took me a long time to accept it.

  I played on the high school team and then was the backup place kicker on the Mesa College football team.  Looking back I think it was only because Coach Smorin didn’t cut those that wanted to be there.  I wanted it bad.  So I stayed.  During the offseason I was in the first car accident of my life and as a result had to quit playing.  That was one of the best events that ever  happened.

  During the offseason I had gotten married and my sister-in-law, Carole had loaned me her 35mm Yashica to play with.  I was quickly hooked and soon photographing sports for the school paper at Mesa College which allow me to stay in touch with my team mates.  An obsession to learn followed and within four years I was working in the newspaper realm, covering news and the sports I loved.

  After eight years as a staff photographer at the San Diego Union Tribune I started my own business and became immersed in the sports photography profession.  I worked for the wire services, trading card companies, San Diego State University and then got my dream job.  Along with a former Sports Illustrated photographer we started an in-house full service photography department for the owner of the San Diego Padres.  It was a sports photographer’s ideal job.  We were on the inside documenting the team and the franchise, the players and the owners.  We were given access that few photographer ever are given.

  During the six year stint we lived a great life.  I photographed hundreds of games and saw a rare insight into what some people call the Greatest Game.  The Padres had a good team and even better marketing.  Their quest to expand their brand took us to Mexico several times, once to play the Mets, to Hawaii to play the St. Louis Cardinals and then the winning began.  We went to the playoff and then the World Series.  I saw Tony Gwynn at his prime, I saw him injured and I saw him retire.  On his final game he personally gave me an autographed bat which I have to this day.

  But times change.  Due to internal politics I was not renewed.  And to add insult to injury I was replaced by the mailroom clerk….  the timing was terrible.  They waited until ten days prior to spring training which precluded me from working with another company.

  Losing that contract was the best event that happened.  I’m now an architectural photographer.  I miss sports but I love my new challenge.  But that’s another story.  Check out my website, www.zwink.com 

About the photo:  This was a portrait of Ken Caminiti done for the Padres Magazine.  Camy was one of the most intense, dedicated hard working people I ever met.  He loved baseball.  Padre fans loved him.

ART, hipstomatic, Iphone 5, lifts, Lightroom 4, location, NFL, photography, work

Slow down and find a Mentor

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“SLOW DOWN, SHOOT LESS AND SHOOT BETTER”

This past year was a big one for me. I’ve made a concerted effort to improve my work and to understand the market and potential competition.  What I’ve learned are there are some extremely talented artists in this speciality. I’ve been very fortunate to talk with several photographers and as a result have expanded myknowledge and passion for my photography.  Jeffrey Jacobs, http://www.jeffreyjacobsphoto.com, has become a mentor to me, tirelessly talking sharing his views about the profession, art and business we share.

Recently at a workshop he looked at my work and was very honest. All he said
was “slow down, shoot less and shoot better.” I have, and I am improving. May
you all either have or find the right person that can tell you to slow down.

More of my work is at www.zwink.com

ART, camera phone, career, Iphone 5, location, location shoot, music, photography, San Diego, Snapseed, Travel, work

On The Road…Again

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I’m no expert but it appears the economy is improving.  The first two months of 2014 were the busiest I’ve ever had.  I know it’s a small sample to base the year on but other photographers have told me they’re off to a good start also.  If photographers are working, businesses are marketing and looking to growth.  That’s what we do, we help our client market, sell and grow their business.

I spent a lot of the month on the road.  Several trips to Orange County surrounded a couple San Diego projects and then I went to the Bay Area for a couple shoots up there.  After a quick respite back home and starting a new local project, I went to Alaska for a quick shoot.  I know, why send a San Diego photographer there, it’s because my client trusts me to get what they need.  Maybe an idea for a future blog.

Well I need to wrap this up.  I have another couple projects in Orange County and LA this week.  I hope everyone else is busy.

About my image gallery:  All images shot with my iPhone while traveling.  Post was in Snapseed.

career, photography, San Diego

Are you LinkedIn……?

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IMG_2230  I guess the real title should be why I don’t connect with other photographers.

I consider my self fairly successful, at least for the market I work in.  That’s why I finally started marketing better a few years ago at the suggestion of a millionaire friend of mine.  We talked and the reality was I needed to change, to expand my network.

First I revamped my portfolio www.zwink.com and then after doing some serious soul searching decided to focus my marketing on architectural photography even though I love to shoot it all (well almost).  One of the marketing tools my friend Bob suggested was Linkedin, a professional networking site used primarily at that time for people looking for job opportunities and business connections.  The basic idea is to network, to explore and gain new opportunities.

When I was new to Linkedin there were not a lot of photographers using the service.  Now that has changed.  I constantly get requests from other photographers wanting me “to add you to my professional network”.  I don’t think so.  A lot of my contacts are people I either work with or want to work with.  Why tell others who my market is?  Is it paranoia?  No, I had someone I thought was a friend steal one of my clients.  Approached them offering to do the work cheap and for trade.  He is no longer working in this town….  His business model didn’t work and I learned my lesson.

So….. if you’re a photographer meet me on Facebook, @zphotog on Twitter, or better yet email or call me.  I’ll still be your friend.

My website is:  www.zwink.com            And my older work is archived at:  www.bigstudioz.com

ART, career, family, Kansas, Lightroom 5, location shoot, photography, Travel

Been there, Done that?????

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_JDZ8515A

Have you?  Have you been to that place more that once where you start to shoot the same photos the same way?  STOP……. don’t go into autopilot.  You know what works, now look for something different.  Whether a different angle, different lens, different time of day or a new technique, explore it.  Dare to be different, that how you become better.  Don’t go home with the same or similar images.  STIMULATE YOUR VISION!!!

Techy stuff:  camera-Nikon D800 and Nikon D600.  Lenses Nikkor 14-24 and 70-200.  Processed in Adobe Lightroom 5.  Locaton, Macksville, Kansas, population aprox. 500.

More of my work:  http://zwink.com